How time flies: Emirates marks five years of A380 commercial service

It was on 1 August 2008 when Emirates operated its first scheduled Airbus A380 flight – linking this carrier’s Dubai home base to New York. Fast-forward five years, and this progressive airline has become the world’s largest operator of Airbus’ 21st century flagship jetliner – with a fleet of 38 aircraft today helping set industry standards for both revenue generation and passenger comfort.

Emirates has carried more than 18 million passengers with its A380s. Since the 2008 introduction, the double-deck jetliners have served 21 destinations, visited 37 airports and completed 20,000 round-trip flights. In total, Emirates A380s have flown 265 million kilometers.

“Airbus is very proud of the A380’s success with Emirates, as well as the positive feedback we’ve received from the operator,” said Antonio Da Costa, Head of A380 Marketing at Airbus. “Emirates places great confidence in the A380, operating it day-in and day-out around its extensive route network.”

Emirates, which has 52 additional A380s on order, is taking advantage of the jetliner’s unique attributes with features such as its groundbreaking mini-suites – each of which comes fully-equipped with a sliding door, personal mini-bar and adjustable ambient lighting, along with wardrobe, vanity table and mirror.